Contact:

Students in the lab/herbarium

What do we do as research? Since evolution affects all the levels of life organisation, from ecology to genes, any kind of data is potentially interesting to us. Our main strength in the lab is different types of microscopy (e.g., optic, confocal and electron microscopy) but talents in plant physiology, genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology or bioinformatics would not be wasted in my lab. Currently, we study parasitic plants, and we address many topics that range from biodiversity and biogeography on the entire planet, to specific questions that deal with the evolution, biology and ecology of these fascinating plants.

We are also begining a new long-term project: Seeds of weeds and invasive plants in North America, using scanning electron microscopy, if you are interested to contribute.

Current students:

Behrang Behdarvandi(MSc, 2012-2014). Can a parasitic plant with no functional root form mycorrhiza? Apparently so -- this is what Behrang studies, exploring how this happens and which are the implications for the life-strategies and evolution of different Cuscuta species, native or invasive.

Courtney Clayson (MSc student 2012-2014; Honors thesis 2011-2012): As an undergraduate student she studied the timing and development sequence of meristematic primordia in Cuscuta gronovii flower (her contribution got published here). Courtney shared with Kurtis the best poster award at Ontario Biology Day in Sudbury 2012. As a graduate student she begins to study now the diversity, evolution and function of some unknown, horn-like formations present in the flower of certain species of Cuscuta.

Kurtis Baute (undergrad student 2011-2012). Biodiversity of Cuscuta pentagona-C. campestris. Kurtis received the best poster award at Ontario Biology Day held in Sudbury, Ontario (2012), as well as a special award by the Canadian Botanical Society during the same event.

Michael Wright (undergrad student: 2007-2008; MSc, 2008-2010); he studied reproductive ecology and biology in Cuscuta (Wright et al. 2011; Wright et al. 2012). As an undergrad student he worked on the systematics of Cuscuta salina group of species (see Costea et al. 2009). He continues to study Cuscuta with a PhD at University of Toronto with my collaborator Sasa Stefanovic.

Ian Spence (undergrad; 2010-2011). Ian built a GIS database for Cuscuta campestris, themost common and invasive species of dodder in the world, and studied the systematics of C. chinensis complex. Paper published together.

Andrew McLean(undergrad 2010-2011). Andrew has been working on different projects in the lab and in the field.

Atlee Lee(high school student, summers of 2009 and 2010). Atlee studied the female reproductive investment inCuscutaand helped us in the field. He is now a student at the U. of Guelph.